Between Two Worlds: Welcome to Sunnydale
by Artemis Sherwood
Summary: After the death of her mother, Diana Scott moves to Sunnydale to live with her grandmother and finish her final year in high school. There she meets the Scooby Gang and they all become very close. Only there's something wrong with Diana. She keeps having dreams of the future, of a vampire called the Master, and she can't understand why. (OC from our universe, unknown ship)
1. Prologue

**A/N: I should be working on my Doctor Who story, but I have a lot of inspiration for this one. Basically it's my oc from our universe who is somehow dropped into the Buffy verse. I know she will end up shipped with someone, but I'm not sure who just yet. If you like the story and want to see the character with someone, I'm open to any ideas or suggestions.**

**And yes this chapter is very short, but it's more of a test drive than anything else. Enjoy. :)**

"Hi, sweetheart. How did the audition go?"

I placed the car keys on the hook by the door and sighed. "Alright," I answered as I locked the front door behind me. "Mr Cook said that I could be in the symphonic band. He said I was good for only playing for like five years. And Mrs Evans said that I auditioned really well for choir, so I can be in chambers."

Grandmama came out from the living room to give me a kiss on the cheek. "Oh, I'm so excited for you, honey. Now I want you to go to your room and make sure you have everything ready for school, alright? You've only got two more days."

"Yeah, I know," I replied as I stepped past her. "Don't remind me."

* * *

The night before school started, I had a nightmare. A man wearing all black was standing in some sort of cavern or cave. His face was white and deformed and absolutely hideous and his fingernails were long and claw-like. Protruding from his mouth were two yellowed fangs tipped with blood.

He suddenly turned his head just an inch and stared right at me. My heart stopped. "You are not supposed to be here," he growled at me. "You don't belong here."

I stumbled backwards in a frantic attempt to get away from the creature. He grinned and I could see all of his teeth. "Oh, the things you'll see. The things you'll do." I fell back with a thud and screamed. "The pain, the loss... The guilt."

I woke with a start, my alarm clock blaring beside me and sun filtering through my window. My heart was pounding heavily in my chest. I grabbed my glasses from my bedside table and stared up at the ceiling, the dream still fresh in my mind.

"God, I just want this year to be over."

* * *

I'd moved to Sunnydale only a week earlier after the death of my mother. She had been found dead just a block away from our home, all her blood drained and her neck mutilated. Because my father was living in Boston and I had no desire whatsoever to see him again, my grandmother had taken me into her home on Revello Drive for my final year of high school.

Grandmama was quiet and reserved, like me, and didn't usually leave the house for anything other than church or for groceries. That meant that I had to drive myself to school and anywhere else I needed to be. I didn't mind because it gave me more alone time for things like reading and watching Doctor Who reruns and eating.

Since I was a senior, I didn't have to take many classes. My schedule consisted of English, French, choir, band, and library aide, plus one free period at the beginning of the day. At my previous school, I had often spent my free time in the library and had become good friends with the librarian there. I hoped that I could repeat that at Sunnydale High or, at the very least, make at least one friend.


	2. Welcome to the Hellmouth

**A/N: I made a little poll for the character to pair Diana with, so please respond to that as you see fit. Thank you everyone. :)**

The drive to school wasn't very long, no more than five or six minutes, but the traffic was more than enough to drive me crazy. I sighed and turned on the radio as the cars ahead of me inched forward. One of Celine Dion's newest songs came on and I immediately turned the radio off.

"I think I'll kill myself if I hear her sing one more time," I grumbled.

The parking lot was behind the school and in order to get there, I had to drive past the front of the school. As I drove past the parked buses and frantic teens, I saw one boy on a skateboard. He was staring at something with his mouth agape and because he wasn't paying attention to this surroundings, he ran right into a stair railing and was knocked onto his back. I winced and hoped the kid would be okay.

Once I parked and locked the car, I grabbed my backpack and slung it over both my shoulders. I walked into Sunnydale High for the first time and sighed. There were couples already kissing on the lockers, a few boys hiding their cigarettes in their pants, and the popular girls had already regrouped after their summer long absence and were ready to prowl the halls for nerds and other easy pickings.

Following Grandmama's recommendation, I went to the principal's office during my first period. I had already been given my schedule, but wasn't sure where to go during my free period and wanted to ask for a campus map if one was available. I waited outside his office for about ten minutes before the door opened and a very pretty blonde girl walked out.

She glanced at me and sent me an awkward smile before walking off. I stood and grabbed the door before it closed completely. "Excuse me, principal?" I asked softly.

"Come in, come in." I stepped in and gently closed the door behind me. "How may I help you, young lady?"

I smiled a little. "Um, I'm Diana Scott. I saw you last week. I, uh, just moved here."

"Oh, yes, yes. Of course. I remember you." The principal smiled and gestured to the chair across the table from him. "Please sit, Miss Scott. How can I help you?"

I shrugged my backpack off and hugged it to my chest. "Um, I was wondering if you had a map for the campus or...?"

Principal Flutie pulled out a drawer from his desk, then waved a piece of paper. "One map of Sunnydale High," he said with a pleasant smile.

"Thank you so much, sir." I took the paper and folded it in half. "And I was also wondering, um, what should I do during my free period? Do I need to sign in with someone or...?"

"No, no," the principal replied with a shake of his head. "Here at Sunnydale High, we trust our students and try to offer a low pressure environment. As long as you are present for your other classes, you may come and go as you please. Since you're a senior and obviously an excellent student, I see no reason for you to be here unless necessary."

I smiled. "Thank you _so_ much, principal. And I promise I won't ever miss my other classes."

"That's very good, Miss Scott. Now why don't you get ready for your first class before the bell rings?"

"Thank you again, Principal Flutie, " I said as I grabbed my things and stood up. "I appreciate everything."

Since I knew the bell signaling the end of first period wouldn't go off for another twenty minutes, I decided I should go to the library and meet the librarian. My second period class was library aide and I wanted to spend as much time as possible in a place in often felt was my sanctuary. I consulted the map the principal had given me and managed to find the library within a few minutes.

When I found the room, I knocked lightly on the library door and stepped in. "Um, hello? Anyone here?" I called.

Ahead and just to the right, a door opened and a man who I assumed was the librarian stepped out. He smiled a little awkwardly at me and waved his hand for me to come in. I stepped over to his desk and leaned against it with my hands resting on the edge.

"Hello. May I help you?" the man asked with a British accent.

I nodded shyly. "Hi, um. I'm Diana Scott, I'm new here."

"Oh, yes," the man replied with a smile. "You're my aide for second period, aren't you?"

"Yeah. That's me."

"Mr Giles." He extended his hand over the desk and I took it with a polite smile. "Pleasure to meet you. I hope your first day hasn't been too bad."

I shrugged. "Well there's people here, so it could be better."

Giles smiled a little. "I understand completely." He suddenly cleared his throat and stepped out from behind the table. "I assume that you understand the basics of the Dewey Decimal System and so forth?"

"Yes. I can organize and alphabetize and any other sort of 'ize' you want. Just say the word."

"Very good, very good. In that case," the librarian continued as he gestured across the room to a cage of sorts, "I would like for you to organize all of these books and place them in their proper homes."

I smiled and nodded pleasantly, glad to be of some help as well as to be surrounded by books for the next hour. I walked over to the book cage and grabbed four thick books, looking over the title and author to see where they were supposed to go.

I was instantly comfortable in the library. Giles was shy and nervous for an adult working with children, but he was polite and I warmed instantly to him. After I had finished organizing the stack of books in the cage, Giles asked me make sure that all the textbooks were organized as well in case a student came in looking for new books.

I was in the book cage going through the last of the books when the library doors opened and the blonde girl I recognized from the principal's office stepped in. I watched her from inside the cage and stayed quiet, not wanting to speak to anyone unless absolutely necessary.

"Hello?" the girl called as she walked in. "Is anybody here?"

The girl walked up to the counter and started looking over the newspaper Giles had left there earlier. She was so busy reading that she didn't notice Giles walk up behind her until he lightly tapped her on the shoulder.

"Oh! Anybody's here!" the girl exclaimed.

"Can I help you?" the librarian asked politely.

She shrugged and smiled. "I was looking for some, well, books. I'm new."

"Miss Summers?"

"Good call!" The blonde laughed. "Guess I'm the only new kid, huh?"

"There is one other new student," Giles elaborated as he stepped around the counter, "but she's a senior. You'll meet her eventually. She is my new aide. Oh, I'm Mr Giles, by the way. The librarian. I was told you were coming."

The blonde flashed a nice smile and popped her hip to one side. I couldn't help but feel just a little jealous of her thin physique. "Great! So, um, I'm gonna need 'Perspectives on 20th Century-' "

"I know what you're after," Giles interrupted.

With a big grin on his face, Giles pulled an enormous book our from under he counter and slammed it on the surfacr. I couldn't see what the title said from where I was standing, but I could see that the pages were gold lined and that the book was at least as thick as both my English and French textbooks combined.

"Um, that's not what I'm looking for," the blonde girl said very slowly.

The smile dropped from Giles' face. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"I'm _way_ sure."

"My mistake, then," the librarian muttered awkwardly. He beat over to replace the book beneath the counter and started to speak again as the girl hurriedly ran out. "So, what is it you said- Oh."

I stepped out of the cage after Giles went back into his office, muttering while he cleaned his glasses with a handkerchief. I wondered briefly what the book was about that could have caused the blonde girl to react so suspiciously.

* * *

I walked into my English class and hurried to the back of the class, grabbing an empty seat in the corner. I silently watched the rest of my classmates file into the room, observing who they sat with and what they were carrying. I had a tendency to go Sherlock Holmes and observe my surroundings sometimes in an attempt to distance myself from strangers.

The bell rang just as a boy sat down next to me. I jumped a little and shook my head, readjusting my glasses on the bridge of my nose. I started to pull out the summer work when a pencil tapped against my arm.

I turned and saw the boy staring at me. "You're one of the new kids, aren't you?" he asked.

I nodded. "Um, yeah. I just moved here a week ago."

"I'm Matt." He smiled and quickly looked up and down my face, which made me flush and look away for a moment. "What's your name?"

"Diana," I mumbled shyly.

"Nice to meet you."

I forced a smile on my face and tried not to start panicking. Socializing had never been a strength of mine. "Nice to meet you too," I answered softly.

"Could I have your attention, please?" the teacher asked from the front of the room. "I'm Ms Shaw, your Advanced English teacher. Now I'm going to hand out these worksheets and while you're working on them, I want you all to turn in your summer reading work."

Half of the class groaned and I exhaled lightly, opening my binder and pulling out my poorly done assignment I had done the night before. I yawned, passed it to the girl sitting in front of me, and then turned to look out the window.

_This is going to be a long day_, I thought.

* * *

The bell rang fifty minutes later. I quickly stuffed the worksheet into my binder and grabbed my backpack. Next to me, Matt was slowly placing his things in his backpack and watching me when he seemed to think I wasn't looking. With a shake of my head, I stepped past him without a second thought and walked out of the room in the direction of the library.

_I hope Mr Giles will let me stay in the library_, I thought hopefully. _I don't think I can stand all the noise and students right now._

Thankfully the library was only a few minutes away from my classroom. I knocked on the library door again as I took a few timid steps inside. "Mr Giles? Um, it's me, Diana."

The older man stepped out from behind a bookshelf at the back of the room with his glasses in his hand. "Oh, hello again," he said with a smile as he walked down the stairs. "What brings you back?"

I swallowed nervously and smiled a little. "Well.. Um, I was kind of wondering... Well, since I'm new here and I don't know anybody... Could I stay in here during lunch? Please?"

Giles smiled and nodded as he put his glasses back on. "Of course. So long as you don't leave greasy fingerprints on my books, I will also let you eat in here."

"Oh, thank you so much," I sighed with relief. "And I promise I won't get any of the books ruined."

"Very good." He then pointed to the check out desk and said, "There's a book up there I'd like for you to put away for me first, if you don't mind. I have to make a phone call and-"

"Oh, that's fine. I don't mind." I grabbed the book and cradled it against my chest. "And I'll be very quiet. You won't even know I'm here."

Giles nodded at me and then went into his office. I walked to the back of the room and up the stairs, then started looking at the signs on each bookcase for a hint as to where I should put the book. I finally found the proper genre and alphabetical location and was about to replace the book when I heard the doors open and hurried footsteps.

"Okay, what's the sitch?" a girl suddenly asked.

I heard Giles walking across the floor and then ask, "Sorry?"

The girl huffed. "You heard about the dead guy, right? The dead guy in the locker?"

_Dead guy? There's a dead person here? At the school?_

"Yes," Giles answered.

I leaned a little against the bookcase and dropped my hand, with the book still in it, to my side. There was a light thud and then footsteps nearing the staircase and my hiding spot. I didn't want either Giles or the girl to know I could hear then because I got the feeling that I wasn't supposed to be hearing their conversation.

" 'Cause, it's the weirdest thing," the girl continued. "He's got two little, little holes in his neck, and all his blood's been drained. Isn't that bizarre? Aren't you just going, 'ooh'?"

_His blood was drained?_ I shook my head in shock and pressed a hand against my mouth. _Like Mom._

"I was afraid of this," Giles finally breathed.

"Well, I wasn't," the girl snapped. "It's my first day! I was afraid that I was gonna be behind in all my classes, that I wouldn't make any friends, that I would have last month's hair. I didn't think there'd be vampires on campus. And I don't care."

I partially blocked out what the two were saying, trying to absorb the fact that they were talking about vampires like it was an everyday occurrence. What was wrong with them? And why had they said that the body had been drained of blood like my mother's was?

"To make you a vampire they have to suck your blood. And then you have to suck their blood. It's like a whole big sucking thing. Mostly they're just gonna kill you." The girl paused for a moment and then asked, "Why am I still talking to you?"

There was a long pause and I heard the slight shuffling of feet. I thought that maybe the girl had left and started to come out from behind the bookcase when Giles spoke again.

"You really have no idea what's going on, do you? You think it's coincidence, your being here? That boy was just the beginning." The librarian's tone had changed to something more dark and serious.

"Oh, why can't you people just leave me _alone_?" the girl whined.

"Because you are the Slayer." Footsteps. "Into each generation a Slayer is born, one girl in all the world, a Chosen One, one born with the strength and skill to hunt-"

"With the strength and skill to hunt the vampires, to stop the spread of their evil blah, blah, blah...," the girl continued. "I've heard it, okay?"

_Slayer? What is he talking about? What's a Slayer supposed to be? And vampires...?_

"I really don't understand this attitude," Giles replied in confusion. "You- you've accepted your duty, you- you've slain vampires before-"

"Yeah, and I've both been there and done that, and I'm moving on."

_She kills vampires?_ I thought incredulously. _Is he insane?_

Giles suddenly asked the girl what she knew about Sunnydale and ahe reaponded with a sarcastic answer that made Giles sigh. "Dig a bit in the history of this place," he told her as I heard him walk towards the counter. "You'll find a-a steady stream of fairly odd occurrences. Now, I believe this whole area is a center of mystical energy, that things gravitate towards it that-that-that you might not find elsewhere." There was a thud like a stack of books had been dropped.

"Like vampires," the girl replied with a sigh.

"Like zombies, werewolves, incubi, succubi, everything you've ever dreaded was under your bed," Giles retorted in a serious tone, "but told yourself couldn't be by the light of day. They're all real!"

"What? You, like, sent away for the Time-Life series?"

"Ah, w-w-w-yes," Giles muttered awkwardly.

"Did you get the free phone?"

"Um, the calendar actually."

I didn't understand what the two were referring to and assumed it was something they could see and were looking at. I quietly returned the book to its proper place on the bookcase and then closed my eyes so I could focus better on what the two were talking about.

"But, okay, first of all, I'm a vampire Slayer. And secondly, I'm retired." I heard the girl gasp and she said with a sarcastic tone, "Hey, I know! Why don't _you_ kill 'em?"

"I-I'm a Watcher, I-I haven't the skill-"

"Oh, come on, stake through the heart, a little sunlight. It's like falling off a log."

"A-A Slayer slays, a Watcher-"

"Watches?" the girl asked.

"Yes. No!" There was another thud of books on the counter and Giles started stuttering again. "H-He trains her, h-h-he prepares her-"

"Prepares me for what?" the girl snapped. I could hear her voice strain as she started to speak and gussed that the subject was difficult for her. "For getting kicked out of school? For losing all of my friends? For having to spend all of my time fighting for my life and never getting to tell anyone because I might endanger them? Go ahead! Prepare me."

Moments later, there was a loud exhale and then footsteps storming out of the room. Giles then muttered something under his breath. More footsteps.

I stepped out from behind the bookcase once I felt sure that the girl and Giles were gone and gasped when I saw a boy standing just a few feet away. He turned on me with wide, confused eyes and we stared at each other in stunned silence.

"Did you... hear that?" the boy asked after a minute.

I nodded. "You?"

"Yeah."

The boy and I both turned our heads to look at the library doors. I felt as if I was in some sort of dream, like the one I'd had earlier that day. Giles and the girl had been talking about vampires and chosen ones and Slayers and it was so overwhelming and strange that I didn't know what to do.

"They were talking about vampires," the boy finally mumbled.

I looked back at him and nodded. "Yeah."

"But... _Vampires_."

I stayed silent, thinking back on what they had said about the body drained of blood. Had my mother's killer followed me to Sunnydale? Was it after me?

"Um, hello?"

I snapped out of my thoughts and shook my head. "Sorry," I mumbled. "I-I was... I was thinking."

"Are they totally crazy or what?"

I shook my head slowly. "I-I don't know," I trailed off. "They were talking about a body and... I'm sorry. I have to go."

I ran down the stairs that led to the library entrance and grabbed my backpack from beneath the table. The boy stayed still for a moment before running after me and grabbing my elbow to keep me from leaving.

"Hey. Wait a sec." I stopped and stared at him, waiting for him to continue. "Tell me I'm not crazy. I mean, you heard them too right?"

"Yeah, I did."

"So what are we gonna do?"

"_Do_?" I repeated incredulously. "What do you mean, 'do'?"

"Well that librarian guy seems to think that Buffy is some sort of... vampire slayer! That's completely insane!"

I nodded. "I know, but..." I couldn't stop thinking about the fact that the girl, (Buffy?), had described the exact way my mother was killed. The thought brought tears to my eyes and I quickly looked away. "I'm sorry. I have to go."

"Wait!" The boy sighed and stuffed his hands in his pants pockets. "Well... What's your name?"

I smiled and laughed a little. "Diana. You?"

"Xander Harris at your service."

"Nice to meet you Xander," I said with a smile.

Xander smiled in return and shrugged his shoulders. "You're new here too, right? Um, Buffy's new too."

I tilted my head to the side. "You keep saying that name. Who is that?"

"The girl the librarian was talking to."

"And Giles thinks Buffy's a... Slayer? Whatever that is."

Xander looked around the library to make sure Giles hadn't come back, then leaned closer to me. "But what about that body they mentioned?"

"The body," I breathed absently. "Oh God, do you think there's actually a body-? Xander-"

"I don't know. I ran into Cordelia earlier and she said something about a body. She wouldn't lie about something like that, but... But I know that I definitely don't want to see it."

I sighed and shook my head. "But if... If there is a body, then... What do we do?"

"Get the hell outta here?"

I glanced over my shoulder at the library doors, then looked back at Xander. "I can't," I said sadly. "I-It's only the first day of school. I can't ditch. I still have three classes left."

Xander raised his eyebrows and scoffed. "Yeah, well there's no _way_ I'm staying." He took a step back and pursed his lips. "Hey, I'll see you after school, kay?"

I nodded. "Sure," I said softly as he ran out of the library.

* * *

School lasted an eternity that day. I waited desperately for the final bell to ring so I could hurry home and check on Grandmama. After the news about the body and the mystery behind Giles and the "Slayer" Buffy, I wanted to make sure that she was safe before anything else.

I rushed to the car as soon as the bell rang with no thought on my mind other than my grandmother. I was a block away from the school when a boy on a skateboard whizzed past me at a stop sign. He stopped across the street and then turned to face me with a wave. I readjusted my glasses and realized that it was Xander.

I went through the intersection and then pulled over. I leaned over the passenger seat to roll the window down and laughed a little when Xabder shifted excitedly from foot to foot. The other student bent over so I could see him in the frame of the window and grinned.

"Hiya, doll," he joked with another wave of his hand.

"Xander," I said simply with a smile.

He looked inside my car with obvious interest and seemed impressed. "Nice ride."

"Nah, it's a piece of junk."

"At least you _have_ a piece of junk."

I glanced at my wristwatch and sighed. _Grandmama won't be in any trouble if I'm just five minutes late,_ I reasoned mentally. _Besides, Xander's nice._

"Need a ride home?" I questioned. "I don't mind."

"Oh, yes please!"

"Hop in," I urged.

He grabbed this skateboard and pulled the door open, throwing himself in with a grunt. I waited for him to close the door before I started driving again. Xander readjusted his skateboard between his legs and leaned his head against his hand.

"So where do I need to go?" I asked.

He looked over at me and smiled halfway. "Oh, uh, Coleman Avenue." It only took Xander a few moments to remember that I was new to town and didn't know where any of the streets were. "Oh, sorry. Take a right up here and then the two more lefts and then another right."

"Okay."

We made light conversation during the drive, both of us completely avoiding the subject that was bothering us: the library earlier that day. By the time we reached his house, I learned that Xander was a sophomore at the high school, that his best friend was a nerdy redhead by the name of Willow Rosenberg, and that Giles and Buffy were new to the school that year as well.

I parked in front of Xander's house and we stayed silent in the car for a few moments. Finally he turned to me and smiled. "Thanks for the ride, Di," he said as he grabbed his skateboard.

"Di?" I questioned.

"Yeah. That's your new nickname." He opened the car door and hopped out. "Unless you don't like it, in which case it's totally not your nickname."

I laughed and shook my head. "No, I like it."

"Great." He closed the door and waved goodbye as he started up the driveway. "I eat with Willow in the courtyard during lunch. If you wanna, y'know, hang out."

"I'll see you then."

Xander waved again and grinned and I copied his actions. He walked up to his front door and unlocked it with a key he pulled from his pocket. Once he was safely inside, I drove off towards home.

Grandmama greeted me with a hug and a kiss on the cheek when I got home. She asked about my first day at school and I told her about Matt and Xander and how much I loved my new band mates. I made sure to avoid the strange conversation between Giles and Buffy and the fact that it made me think about my mother's death.

"So this Xander you met in the library," Grandmama started with a smile. "Is he the reason you got home a little late?"

My eyes widened. "_Grandmama_, not like _that_!" I exclaimed with a half laugh. "I gave him a ride home."

"I see."

I rolled my eyes and toed my shoes off. "Can I have have a snack?" I asked as I walked into the kitchen. "I'm starving. School food is yucky no matter where you live, apparently."

Grandmama followed me into the kitchen and took a seat at the dinner table. "I made you a peanut butter sandwich and some cheese slices," she answered. "And have some water with that. I think we're out of milk."

I grabbed my plate of food and a glass of water and walked into the living room, flopping onto the couch with a sigh. It was nice to be home where I could relax and not worry about strange librarians who believed in vampires. While I was eating, I turned the t.v. on and started flipping through the channels.

* * *

"Did you finish your homework?"

I looked up from my pad of paper to see Grandmama in the doorway and nodded. "Mm hmm. All I had was a worksheet for English and French where you have to describe yourself and your interests and all that."

Grandmama nodded. "Okay. Well don't stay up too late writing, sweetie. I want you to be well rested for tomorrow."

"I will," I sighed dramatically. "Don't worry."

I looked back at my paper once she closed the door and chewed on my bottom lip in contemplation. Due to my rather unhealthy obsession with the (recently canceled) t.v. show "Doctor Who", my fascination with science fiction had grown over the past few years and especially during the time of my mom's death. I turned to "Doctor Who" for comfort and solace during my grieving and sometimes, when the show wasn't enough, I would turn to writing and reading and singing. Grandmama knew and understood my way of coping and even if she thought the t.v. program was a little strange, she was glad I had a way to cope with my problems.

I put my paper and pencil away after another half hour of writing. Then I turned on my cassette player at a low volume and put my "Phantom of the Opera" tape in. The overture played while I dressed for bed and by the time I was under my covers and the lights were off, the final chords of "Think of Me" helped me to sleep.

**Sorry if there's any mistakes. I don't have a lot of time to edit lately since I'm starting college in a week. Enjoy and don't forget to tell me what character you're interested in being paired with Diana. :)**


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